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Johannes Trithemius
1462–1516 · Germany
Description
Johannes Trithemius, born Johann Heidenberg, was a German Benedictine abbot and a polymath who was active in the German Renaissance as a lexicographer, chronicler, cryptographer, and occultist. He is considered the founder of modern cryptography and steganography, as well as the founder of bibliography and literary studies as branches of knowledge. He had considerable influence on the development of early modern and modern occultism. His students included Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa and Paracelsus.
Facts
| Born | 1 February 1462, Trittenheim, Electorate of Trier, Holy Roman Empire (now Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany) |
| Died | 13 December 1516(1516-12-13) (aged 54), Würzburg, Prince-Bishopric of Würzburg, Holy Roman Empire (now Bavaria, Germany) |
| Alma mater | University of Heidelberg |
| Known for | SteganographiapolygraphiaeTrithemius cipher |
| Fields | Theologycryptographylexicographyhistoryoccultism |
| Institutions | Benedictine abbey of SponheimSt. Jakob zu den Schotten |
| Notable students | Heinrich Cornelius AgrippaParacelsus |
Life & work in brief
Summarised by section — one row per topic, for fast reading.
| Work / contribution | Significance |
|---|---|
| Early life | The byname Trithemius refers to his native town of Trittenheim on the Moselle River, at the time part of the Electorate of Trier. |
| Career | Travelling from the university to his home town in 1482, he was surprised by a snowstorm and took refuge in the Benedictine abbey of Sponheim near Bad Kreuznach. |
| The Faust legend | Trithemius had a reputation as a necromancer. |
| Steganographia | Trithemius' most famous work, Steganographia (written c. |